Catch Me Before I Fall
by Nieriel Nighthaven
Summary: Pansy likes Hermione. Hermione likes Pansy. You would think that the solution would be simple, but since when can Gryffindors and Slytherins do things the simple way?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Summary: Pansy likes Hermione. Hermione likes Pansy. You would think that the solution would be simple, but since when can Gryffindors and Slytherins do things the simple way?

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**Chapter One**

She watched from afar as her goddess neatly and gracefully wrote out a letter. Addressed to whom, she didn't know, but it hardly mattered. With a careful gaze, she took in every detail of the woman who had taken all of her attention of recent time. Everything about her was beautiful; the way she bit her bottom lip while she was thinking, the way her hair fell naturally in front of her eyes (and she would blow it away in annoyance), even the simple way her hand moved fluidly over the parchment made her seem that much more wonderful in her eyes.

_"I wonder who she's writing to."_ The girl thought to herself, only to tare her eyes off of the woman who had stolen her heart at the rude awakening of another voice.

"Watching Granger again I see." A man's voice drawled from the girls right. With a start, she let out a squeak to face her best friend.

"Um, no, I was just-" Pansy stammered, very much unlike her normally sure self.

"Watching Granger." The boy said shaking his head so his long blond hair swayed. The amusement was evident in his eyes and it automatically annoyed Pansy.

"No I wasn't." The girl was trying to convince herself more than him. She hated it when he was right, he was always right.

"Pansy, come off it, I'm sure that half the school knows by now that you fancy her." Draco Malfoy rolled his eyes, though he still had a smile clear on his face.

"Don't roll your eyes it's quite unbecoming." Pansy said trying to change the subject, not without letting the fear of his statement show in her wavering glance, however. "It makes you look like a girl."

"He already looks like a girl." The boy sitting across from Pansy interjected. He had been keen on the conversation and had just been waiting for a good entrance to get in on the gossip.

"I do not!" The blond cried shooting his friend a fiery glare. The attention was safely off of herself so Pansy allowed herself to enjoy the playful banter that crossed between her two closest friends.

"What, I'm merely stating the unanimous belief of the populace." The boy with dark skin and slanted eyes said with a shrug.

"Relax Draco, it's part of what the girls love." Pansy said with a cheeky grin. With an indignant look, Draco turned himself back to face Pansy.

"Enough about me, what about you and Granger?" Draco knew a distraction when he saw one and wasn't going to let her get away with it.

"What about me and Granger?" The girl asked with a bitter smile. "There is no _me and Granger._"

"I'm not so sure about that." The boy sitting across from her had a wicked grin set on his face that greatly disturbed Pansy. "She's looking over here now."

Pansy's eyes shot up to find chocolate brown eyes meeting her near black eyes. With a small squeak, Pansy's eyes found the table once more. The moment that their eyes had met had been so intense she had to look away. There was no way to put into words how Hermione made her feel.

"See, I think she fancies you too." Blaise said shaking his head at the blush on Pansy's pale cheeks. "Not that you're making it none too obvious that you fancy her or anything."

"Oh shut it!" Pansy hissed and kicked him in the shin from under the table.

"Ow, that bloody hurt!" Blaise hissed glaring at Pansy. "I'm just trying to help." Pansy just nodded her head slightly not really listening anymore. She was too deep in her own thoughts. Had Hermione really been looking at her? And not just at her, but _at her_. Her stomach gave a little jump and she could feel the butterflies again.

"Hello, Earth to Pansy." A white hand waved in front of her eyes. "Dinner's over."

* * *

Pansy sat alone in a secluded part of the castle. She had just managed to escape the teasing and prodding of Draco and Blaise. She really hated it when they teased her like that. They had been on to her crush for months now and that's all they would talk about. Sometimes, she swore they were worse than girls. She sighed and looked out at the grounds of Hogwarts, sifting as she sat on the windowsill.

"You might want to be careful," A voice drifted from the end of the hall to Pansy's ears. She jumped at the sudden noise and started to slip. _"Levicorpus!"_ The witch cried, Pansy flew into the air and was placed softly on the ground where she was safe. "I didn't mean to frighten you. That happened to me once. The fall wasn't fun." The girl said and walked farther into the light. In all of the excitement, Pansy had hardly the time to figure out to whom the voice belonged. Needless to say that she was just a breathless as she had been during her fall when she found that it had been Hermione. With only a fleeting second to think, Pansy had to fight with her conflicting emotions and what to act upon.

"Thank you." Pansy eventually choked out. Her mind had chosen to play nice and get out as soon as she could.

"I meant to warn you from falling, not to cause you to actually fall." Hermione said looking slightly off put. "Are you okay? When I fell, I swear the shock was worse than the fall itself."

"Yeah, I'm okay." Pansy mumbled and stood on shaky legs. She couldn't afford to show the Gryffindor any weakness. It didn't matter how much she liked her, there were still things that Pansy, as a Slytherin, had to take pride in. Her smooth and otherwise controlled decorum seemed not to be all so controlled ever since she began to notice the bushy haired know-it-all.

"Here, let my help you." Hermione said, rushing to Pansy's side and slipping an arm around her waist.

"I don't need help." Pansy snapped out of habit. Hermione backed up instantly as if the girl had struck her. Pansy stumbled slightly at the loss of contact, but was able to at least hold onto the wall to steady herself.

"Fine then." She said looking rather peeved and turned on her heal. Pansy's heart sank. She felt like a complete idiot! She had just ruined her one good chance to have Hermione all to herself all because of her damn pride.

"Wait." Pansy called in a weak voice. It was only the echos of the empty hall that brought the word to Hermione's ear. Slowly, Hermione turned to face the girl, her prior annoyance faded. "I think I do need some help."

With a small smile, Hermione came back to Pansy's side and wrapped her arm around Pansy's slim waist once more. Together, the girls made their way down the long hall in a comfortable silence. When they had made it to the the end of the hall, Pansy came to halt.

"Can we rest for a moment?" Pansy asked quietly and Hermione nodded. She could see that it was taking a lot for Pansy to trust her so much and to admit weakness, even if it didn't look like weakness in Hermione's eyes.

"Sure. Why don't we go into one of the empty classrooms? You can have a seat and plus, head girl badge or not, I'd rather not run into Filch." With a slight nod of her head, Pansy felt Hermione gently lead her to an unlocked classroom. It faintly registered in her mind that she was going to be in an empty class room with an extremely sexy Hermione Granger.

"Thanks." Pansy mumbled when lowered her into the nearest empty chair.

"Are you okay? You've been in another world since we started walking." Hermione asked, concern shining in her eyes.

"_She's too good for me."_ Pansy thought bitterly. "Yeah I'm fine... shock... yeah."

"Oh okay." Hermione said, her worried glance clearly read that she didn't believe her little white lie.

They sat in an uncomfortable silence until Pansy shifted in her seat to face Hermione. "Thanks for catching me."

"No problem." Hermione smiled easily, allowing for the awkward silence to fade and be forgotten.

"How can you be so easy going? I don't understand how you could help a Slytherin without a second thought and then not even mind being in an empty room without being slightly alert." Pansy asked, almost accusingly.

"Why? Do I have a reason to be worried for my safety?" Hermione asked curiously, though she hardly made a move to protect herself any further.

"I-" Pansy began to struggle with her words. The part of her that wanted to protect what ever was left of her pride wanted to tell Hermione that, "Yes you have every right to worry." but she knew in her heart that she couldn't harm the girl, not even for her own pride. "No."

Hermione watched silently as the girl hung her head in shame. She was a Slytherin, a slave to her own house's rules and standards just as much as Hermione was to those of Gryffindor. Oh, how much she wished that they didn't have to follow the insufferable protocol, all Hermione could think of doing in that moment would be to simply lean forward and-

"Um, Hermione? What are you doing?" Pansy asked, her breath caught some where between her lungs and her throat. The lack of oxygen was getting her head and she suspected that she was only imagining that Hermione was leaning closer to her, preparing herself for a kiss.

"Oh, um, I'm sorry." Hermione gasped and sat upright again. Her face was red and she had the decency to look away. "Um if you're ready I can help you the rest of the way to your dormitory." Hermione spoke quickly, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"No thank you, I think I can make the rest of the trip on my own." Pansy answered shakily as she stood and turned her back on the Gryffindor.

"I'm really sorry." Hermione tried again as she stepped forward to help Pansy.

"Good night, Granger." Pansy said curtly, feeling Hermione's hand ghost over her shoulder. She then fled, knowing that what ever was left of her resolve would not last if she stayed in the empty room with the brunette.

"Good night, Pansy." Hermione whispered back, though the Slytherin had already left and was, by then, well down the hall.

* * *

"And where have you been Miss Parkinson?" Draco Malfoy's voice rang clear through the deserted Slytherin Common Room. He and Blaise sat in _their_ armchairs by the fire, presumedly waiting for their best friend _only_ because they were worried for her.

"None of your business, mum." Pansy bit back, not appreciating the older brother vibe she was feeling from her boys.

"Look Pansy, we're sorry okay? Well I'm sorry, I'm not sure about this git." Blaise said sincerely, while pointing at an "emotionally wounded" Draco.

"Oh yes and how many times have I heard that one?" Pansy asked though she took a seat on the leather couch, allowing Draco and Blaise enough room to sit on either side of her.

"Come on, you know that we love to tease you, but it's all in fun. We really just want to see you happy." Draco sobered as he pulled Pansy into a one-armed hug.

"For once, the Prat has said something tactful!" Blaise gasped surprised. He quickly, expertly ducked the playful swipe that Draco made at his head from behind Pansy's back.

"I know." Pansy conceded as she gave her boys a small smile. She really didn't know what she would do without them.

"So where were you?" Draco asked again as Pansy relaxed into both of her boys arms.

"I was just taking a walk." Pansy lied easily, her boys loved her, but they were often very thick and could not always tell when she was lying.

"Okay, we may be thick, but we're not that tick." Blaise teased.

"Reading my mind?" Pansy laughed lightly, not trying to change the topic, but not talking about it either.

"No, now answer the question!" Blaise laughed trying to get Pansy to tell them where she was. By the look on her face when she had entered the Common Room, she had most likely been thinking about Hermione or had a run-in with her.

"I was sitting in a windowsill on the third floor. She startled me and I almost fell, but she saved me. We talked, she helped me walk as far as the end of the corridor. We stopped to rest since I was still pretty much in shock from almost falling and from her helping me walk so we sat in one of the empty classrooms. We talked some more and then-" Pansy cut off, replaying the last few moments of her time with Hermione in her mind. "-then she tried to kiss me, I think. That's when I fled. There, are you happy? That's the full story."

"Oh Pansy." Draco sighed, pulling the girl closer to himself.

"Why didn't you kiss her?" Blaise asked, not accusingly, but out of curiosity. While it was obvious that the rules of their houses still existed, Pansy was equivalent to a Princess in Slytherin and Blaise assumed that Hermione was the same in her own house. They were above the rules. They could do as they pleased and no one, especially not their housemates would second-guess them.

"I don't know." Pansy sighed as a single tear fell down her cheek. "I don't know."

* * *

"And where have you been Miss Granger?" Ron Weasley's voice rang clear through the deserted Gryffindor Common Room. He and Harry sat on _their _couch as they wait for Hermione, but _only_ because they were worried for her, _not_ because they needed help with their homework.

"Not tonight." Hermione sighed as she carelessly dropped her bag on the floor and took her seat between her boys.

"What's wrong, Hermione?" Harry asked seeing as Ron still didn't seem to pick up on the fact that something was in fact wrong.

"It's nothing I'm just tried." Hermione easily lied. Her boys didn't often notice when something was bothering her so she felt that she could easily lie her way out of suspicion.

"Do you honestly expect me to believe that? I mean this prat might have believed that, but honestly, Hermione." Harry smiled as he wrapped her in a one-armed hug,

"Come one, Hermione. What's wrong." Ron asked as he too pulled her into a one-armd hug. "We're really worried about you."

"See, even Ron knows to have some tact, we're serious, we're really worried." Harry joked at Ron's expense as Ron tried to whack him behind Hermione's back.

"It's just, I had a run-in with a student. That's all." Hermione tried to tell half truths hoping to escape the subject, but she should have known that she wouldn't be going to bed until she told her boys the truth. For once they were actually taking notice of her and her problems, but not when she wanted them to.

"And would that student be Pansy Parkinson?" Harry asked with a small smile.

"No!" Hermione exclaimed trying to look scandalized, though she knew the theatrics would be useless. Her boys, or at least Harry, knew her too well.

"Well then, did you finally snog the Slytherin Princess?" Ron asked rather bluntly, surprising Hermione. She had been under the impression that Ron still liked her, but he seemed rather calm.

"Excuse me?" Hermione let out a little squeak and blushed a deep crimson color to rival Ron's hair.

"Well I can't be offend that you like her over me, can I? We have different- bits." Ron finished lamely and joined Hermione in blushing. Much to both boys surprise, Hermione began to laugh at Ron's crude assessment.

"Well that's one way of putting it." Hermione whipped tears of laughter from her eyes. "At any rate, how did you know?" Hermione asked feeling much better that neither Harry nor Ron questioned her sanity.

"Oh come off it." Harry scolded her with laughter in his eyes. "We're not _that_ daft, are we?" Ron shook is head as well making Hermione laugher harder.

"Well then, yes I saw her in the hall and we talked. It was rather civil until-" Hermione paused, remembering what it felt like to have her lips so close to Pansy's, "-until I tried to kiss her, then she ran. That's all, there's no story or scandal, she just ran."

"I'm really sorry, Hermione." Harry conceded and again Ron nodded as he too pulled Hermione closer to him.

"Thank you." The girl sighed with a sad smile. It was moments like this that reminded her just why she loved her boys so very much. "Now, where's that homework of yours? No doubt you were waiting for me to _help_, right?"

The two Gryffindors had the decency to blush and look to the ground and they pulled out their heavy school bags of unfinished homework.

"It's going to be a long night." Hermione muttered under her breath as she began to help them with with their work. No matter how much she fancied the thought of hexing them at times, she truly couldn't do without them.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Duh.

Summary: Pansy likes Hermione. Hermione likes Pansy. You would think that the solution would be simple, but since when can Gryffindors and Slytherins do things the simple way?

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_Last Chapter_

_"Thank you." The girl sighed with a sad smile. It was moments like this that reminded her just why she loved her boys so very much. "Now, where's that homework of yours? No doubt you were waiting for me to help, right?"_

_The two Gryffindors had the decency to blush and look to the ground and they pulled out their heavy school bags of unfinished homework._

_"It's going to be a long night." Hermione muttered under her breath as she began to help them with with their work. No matter how much she fancied the thought of hexing them at times, she truly couldn't do without them._

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**Chapter Two**

"You know, Granger is looking over here again." Blaise informed Pansy under his breath during breakfast the next morning. He sat besides her while Draco sat across from them.

"Stop staring at her or she'll think you like her." Pansy scolded though she couldn't keep the smile from her face. Hermione was looking at _her_. Maybe she was still interested! Quickly Pansy began to formulate a plan to make amends for her screw up the night previous.

"I know that face, what are you planing, Princess?" Draco teased and Pansy lifted her chin.

"That is none of your business." Pansy smiled a sly grin before continuing to eat her breakfast in higher spirits than the night before.

"Aw our Princess is growing up." Draco drawled while Blaise scoffed.

"Keep up like that and you'll earn yourself a few smart hexes." Blaise smirked at his none too smart friend.

"He's right you know, I would watch your _tongue_ if I were you." Pansy smiled deviously as she allowed her tongue to snake out from her mouth and wrap suggestively around the breakfast sausage.

"Merlin, woman. If you weren't a lesbian-" Draco trailed off as Pansy and Blaise had a good laugh at the blond's expense.

Across the hall as set of hazel eyes narrowed at the sight of Pansy teasing Draco. Hermione was very possessive and while Pansy was not hers just yet, she would be soon. Then there would be no more blond ferrets to tease. Pansy's attention would be solely focused on Hermione, where it should be.

As the students began to leave for their morning classes, Hermione roughly threw her books into her bag and stood from the table without a word to either of her boys. Quickly, seeing her anger, Ron and Harry followed the girl who all but stomped out of the Great Hall on the way to N.E.W.T. level potions.

"Oi! Wait up! One would think that you _wanted_ to go to potions." Ron called after the infuriated Gryffindor.

"Well maybe if you didn't eat so much you could keep up, _Ronald_." Hermione called back the malice evident in her voice.

"Ouch, Weasel. Does your girlfriend always treat you like that?" Blaise sneered, luckily being on the scene in time to hear Hermione's retort, though half the hall could have heard her and were currently talking about the newest fight between the "Gryffindor it couple".

"She's not my girlfriend." Ron glared at the Slytherin, but offered no more. "She doesn't swing that way." Ron added bitterly under his breath. Blaise had been so caught off guard by the comment that he didn't bother to further tease the red-head, but instead fell back to walk in stride with Draco and Pansy.

"What was all that about? Granger put the Weasel back in his place?" Draco sneered, though his two companions knew that he was simply putting on appearances.

"Well _apparently_ he and Granger are not the "Gryffindor it couple" seeing as "she doesn't swing that way"." Blaise commented not needing for the air quotes as the emphasis in his voice and the smirk in his eyes told it all.

"Oh really?" Draco inquired knowing full well that Pansy's mind was currently spinning with the newest information on her Gryffindor crush. "Well isn't that interesting."

"Well is certainly explains last night." Pansy added in a low voice, looking at the two boys letting them know that it was time to drop the subject.

The two trios entered N.E.W.T. level potions at separate times, but to the same general reactions. For the Golden Trio, who entered first, they took to their regular seats, surrounded by their Gryffindor friends. Initially, all conversation stopped upon their entrance, and many shifted their attention to the powerful trio. On the off chance that someone did sat in their seats, the offending student quickly stood and found another seat. After the three were settled, polite conversations continued between the Gryffindors until the arrival of the second power trio.

When the Silver Trio entered all conversation in the classroom stalled once more. They would walk past the Golden Trio as the class held bated breaths, anticipating an all out brawl between the leaders of both groups. On the off chance that they ignored each other, the Silver Trio would continue to their designated seats. The Slytherins of the class would then form a protective circle around them and, when both power trios were safely seated without incident and flanked by their own, the class would settle and the general level of tension in the room would drop allowing all to continue previous conversation.

This particular day was one without incident, so when Professor Snape entered the classroom with the swoosh of his robes, he found his class set in the stereotypical hierarchy that was Hogwarts. It would only be natural then, for him to destroy said hierarchy. His job was just _so much fun_.

"Today we will be brewing a potion that requires _partners_." Just as the dreaded word left his mouth, students began to stand and take new seats next to their typical "random" partners. All students except for both Trios.

"You six as well, Merlin knows there is no _special treatment_ in this classroom." Snape sneered, dragging his words out as he always did. Hermione secretly believed he did it because occasionally he would forget how to form words and would thus drag them out to make is sound like it was on purpose. Imagining her insufferable Potions Professor as uneducated and illiterate, while completely false, brought some joy to her otherwise painful class.

Having heard Snape's order, Harry moved to Draco's table as Ron did to Pansy's and Hermione to Blaise's. It was common knowledge that Slytherins didn't move for anybody.

"Miss Granger, Mr Weasley you are sitting with the wrong partners, kindly switch while we are still young." Snape leered at the two, finding fault not in the students of his house, but in those of Gryffindor, "How typical." Hermione thought

"Why is he doing this?" Pansy whispered to Blaise, who sat in front of her, while the Gryffindors stood one more and switched once again.

"No bloody clue." Blaise shrugged and turned to face their Professor once more.

"Today we will be brewing a particularly difficult potion. While I don't believe that anyone of you are capable of completing this potion, Professor Dumbledore has insisted on teaching it in our curriculum. The potion is volatile and extremely dangerous when made properly, when made improperly-"

Pansy let the drone of Snape's voice become muddled as she began to think over her situation in her head. She liked Hermione, a lot. And if the girls actions last night didn't scream it loud enough, Pansy was fairly certain that the Gryffindor liked her as well. And of course there was always the Weasel's crude assessment of the girl's sexuality that Blaise had overheard. Despite all of her better judgement, Pansy found herself becoming hopeful. If Hermione really did like her than she would just have to devise a Slytherin scheme to get her at admit it. Surely she would have to say it first, not Pansy. It wouldn't do for a Slytherin to put their pride on the line first. As if he was reading her mind, Blaise magically materialized a note onto Pansy's desk.

_Go for it, Princess, there are no rules to bind you, remember, you created those rules, you can break them. -Your Humble Servant_

Pansy laughed to herself at Blaise's signature, though it warmed her heart to know that he supported her no matter how she acted. It also reminded her of a very true fact. She was the Princess of Slytherin, she set the standards and could break them to rebuild new standards. She couldn't allow her fear keep her from something that could potentially fulfill her otherwise routine life.

_Thank you -Princess Pansy_

Pansy couldn't help put smirk as Blaise's subtle snort of laughter. She tuned back into Snape's lecture only to find that he had just finished talking and Hermione had already stood to gather the ingredients. Suddenly realizing that she had no idea what potion they were preparing, Pansy quickly scanned the board with taking out the necessary tools.

"Distracted by something, Parkinson?" Hermione asked as she returned, ingredients in hand, finding Pansy franticly trying to catch up on what she'd missed. Admittedly, Hermione found this rather cute.

The whole room held it's breath as they watched this encounter. Of course everyone had heard Hermione speak, no one ever talked in potions, especially in a normal tone. The Gryffindor Princess openly spoke to the Slytherin Princess, almost as a dare for her to start a scene in the middle of class. Pansy had to think quickly. She needed to show Hermione that she liked her without actually showing her, lure her into asking herself out without luring her.

"Of course not, _Granger_. You're simply imagining things." Pansy sneered though she let her arm brush over the hem of the Gryffindor's skirt, praying no one saw her. To Hermione's credit, she didn't jump at the contact, but instead smirked a scarily Slytherin smirk.

"You're right, I must have been seeing things." Hermione turned away from Pansy then to start setting up their station for the potion.

The class seemed to let out a collective breath just as Pansy did. Everyone slowly went back to their own stations as if the almost altercation hadn't happened. It wasn't long before Pansy found another note in front of her.

_Be careful Princess, you're obviously playing with fire. -B_

Pansy simply nodded as she tried to ignore Blaise, this became difficult however when he sent her yet another note.

_And I totally saw that pass you made at Granger, though I'm sure no one else did. Be more careful unless you want to cause a scene right here. -B_

"Maybe Blaise should send you secret love notes after class, this potion is important." Hermione whispered in Pansy ear, under the guise of reaching for an ingredient. Her free hand was resting on the curve of her toned arse. Pansy did her best not to jump as she turned away from the girl's touch.

"He is not my lover." Pansy intoned, trying to sound threatening.

"I'm glad that out of the whole experience, you are more concerned with me thinking Blaise your lover than with my hand being planted on your firm arse." Hermione smirked as she returned to her work. The furious blush that crept up on Pansy's cheeks made Hermione chuckle to herself.

_"This is not supposed to happen, a Gryffindor is not supposed to get the best of me. Oh no, two can play at this game."_ Pansy thought as she fought her blush down, focusing on completing their potion. There would be more time later to deal with _her_ cheeky Gryffindor.

The two made quick work of completing their potion, both being accurate in their calculations to insure perfection. Hermione took the finished product to the front and Snape simply snatched it from her, dismissing the Gryffindor to her seat, telling her to take notes on the potion. _"Stupid busy work."_ Hermione thought as she returned to her station. Pansy already had the rest of the mess cleared from their desks and had her books out, pretending to take notes.

While she was sure that no one was looking, Pansy slid her hand over her lap to rest on Hermione's knee. When the Gryffindor did nothing to stop her, Pansy began to move her hand up higher, testing her boundaries. She was so intent on her mission that she didn't notice that Hermione had a small, amused smirk on her face.

"Watch where you hand is roaming, I'm not sure you can handle the consequences if they travel too far." Hermione laughed when Pansy jumped at being so blatantly called out on her actions.

"I highly doubt a Gryffindor could do anything that a Slytherin couldn't handle." Pansy tried to sound confidant but in reality her insides were squirming at the warm feelings Hermione's attention lit within her.

"Just watch me." Hermione laughed as the bell rang and she picked up her books with ease, walking out of the room with a swing to her step, Ron and Harry flanking her on both sides. The room stilled as the remaining students watched the Slytherin Princess rise shakily from her chair, her own boys taking to each side of her, leaving without another word.

* * *

"What are you planning, 'Mione?" Harry watched his best friend carefully. There was an hour to dinner and Hermione had been talking excitedly to Ginny all day about a plan to prove Pansy wrong. The two had been locked up in the girls dormitory for a large portion of the day and Harry was concerned that the two most important females in his life where planning something and they wouldn't tell him what was going on.

"Don't worry Harry, I will just be borrowing your girlfriend for a bit." Hermione smiled with a twinkle in her eye to rival Dumbledore's.

"What are you doing to my sister?" Ron jumped in looking horrified at the thought of his baby sister being part of one of Hermione's crazy schemes.

"Nothing." Hermione walked back to the stairs laughing to herself. "And anyways, it's consensual."

Harry and Ron looked worriedly to each other before sitting down before the fire. They would just have to wait for dinner to figure out what the two girls were planning and both were sure that whatever it was, it couldn't be good.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Summary: Pansy likes Hermione. Hermione likes Pansy. You would think that the solution would be simple, but since when can Gryffindors and Slytherins do things the simple way?

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* * *

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_Last Chapter_

_"What are you doing to my sister?" Ron jumped in looking horrified at the thought of his baby sister being part of one of Hermione's crazy schemes._

_"Nothing." Hermione walked back to the stairs laughing to herself. "And anyways, it's consensual."_

_Harry and Ron looked worriedly to each other before sitting down before the fire. They would just have to wait for dinner to figure out what the two girls were planning and both were sure that whatever it was, it couldn't be good._

**

* * *

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**Chapter Three**

"Look mate I think we should just go on without them, it's been an hour and a half." Harry tried to reason with his worried best mate, but Ron would have none of it.

"That's my sister up there! With crazy, scary, conniving-"

"I know that mate, she's my girlfriend, I'm worried too. But I mean this is Hermione we're talking about, what could they really be doing?" Harry again tried to move Ron from the couch with no such luck.

"I'm just saying mate, if she hurts my sister in any way-" Ron started but was stopped short by a feminine clear of the throat.

"You'll do what, Ronald?" Hermione asked, amusement written clearly on her face. She walked past the two boys with her hand in Ginny's, who was doing her best to stifle her laughter as she watched both boys eyes instantly lock on to their entwined hands.

"What are you two doing?" Harry was the first to speak as they ran to catch up with the girls. "Or do I not want to know?"

"Honestly Ginny, you would think they would be more comfortable with girl on girl action." Hermione said conversationally and again Ginny began to laugh.

"Not when one of those girls is my sister!" Ron hollered and the two girls continued to giggle, nearly skipping to the open doors of the Great Hall.

"Well dinner will be interesting, Mate." Harry smiled, not exactly opposed to the idea of seeing his girlfriend and best friend act like a couple for the night. "Think of it this way, it's free dinner and a show."

"Not funny, Mate." Ron gagged, turning a strange shade of purple that terribly clashed with his hair.

* * *

The first thing that Pansy noticed when she entered the Great Hall for dinner was that Hermione was not there. The Gryffindor hadn't been there during lunch, and while Pansy would have denied it if asked, she was starting to worry about her.

"I'm sure she's just studying or something, Pans." Blaise leaned closer to Pansy in a sign of comfort. Pansy sighed and tore her eyes away from the grand double doors to look at her two best friends wearily.

"Bloody witch will be the death of me." She muttered as she pushed at her food while keeping her eyes away from the end of the hall.

"Or maybe you will be the death of her." Draco smirked as Pansy's eyes shot back to the door, the anger in her eyes very apparent.

"What the _bloody hell_ is that Weasley girl doing _touching_ her?" Pansy seethed.

"Well it looks as if they are holding hands. I would have thought that much obvious." Blaise responded to the rhetorical question, earning himself a swift punch in the arm from the enraged Slytherin Princess.

"_I can see that Blaise_." Pansy hissed, sending a shiver up the spine of anyone who was unfortunate enough to hear her.

"Well sorry, I thought I was being helpful." Blaise rolled his eyes and returned to his food as Draco shifted between laughing at his friend's misstep while also looking out to make sure Pansy didn't actually kill anyone.

* * *

"You do know that she is staring right at us, don't you?" Ginny asked while squeezing Hermione's hand.

"Oh I know, that's the point." Hermione shrugged, though outwardly she smiled a dazzling smile that would woo anyone with half a soul. "I want her to realize that she's not the only sly one around here. If she wants to act like she doesn't care about me and expects that I either act the same or grovel to her to start a relationship with me than she has another thing coming." Hermione continued to smile, her eyes flickering around the hall before landing on Pansy's. The two met eye contact for less than a second, but it was long enough for Hermione to wink, before planting a kiss on Ginny's cheek, leading the girl to the Gryffindor end of the hall.

"She is going to kill you, or me." Ginny muttered as she followed the older Gryffindor. "Why did I agree to this?"

"Because you love me." Hermione stated flippantly. "And you know that after all of this Harry will be so hot and bothered you are bound to have the best sex of the century."

"Oh true. I suppose that's a good reason." Ginny laughed as she took her seat next to Hermione.

"Don't worry, before this is all over, we will both get what we want." Hermione smirked as Ron and Harry took their seats across from them, one looking more purple than the other.

"Honestly Ron," Hermione rolled her eyes. "At least you're not watching Harry and Ginny have sex. I would think that would be worse."

"NOT WHAT I NEEDED." Ron yelled loudly enough that half the hall went silent to stare at the red-head.

"Perfect." Hermione said before leaning over to plant a soft, gentle kiss on Ginny's lips. "I'm pretty sure Pansy saw that."

"And the rest of the school." Ginny giggled as the volume in the room began to rise rapidly at the newest piece of gossip made it's way around the hall.

"Oh bugger I think Ron and Harry have fainted." Hermione laughed as she looked to the two empty seats in front of them.

"I'm pretty sure Parkinson is going to kill someone." Ginny said not even looking to the prone figures of her boyfriend and her brother but instead looking through the open space it provided to stare at the livid Slytherin sitting across the hall. Hermione began to laugh again, but this time it sounded borderline evil and Ginny began to worry even more.

"Don't worry, I've got that taken care of." Hermione smirked before turning to her meal. "Tuck in Ginny, things have only just started."

* * *

"I am going to kill Weasley." Pansy grounded out between her gritted teeth.

"You know that she is doing this just to get to you, right?" Draco asked amused. He was rather impressed with the two Gryffindors and found that Pansy falling for it was what made the whole situation even better.

"What?" Pansy asked shocked as she glared at Draco with her best 'if you don't tell me right now I will rip you limb from limb' glare.

"Well obviously when she told you to "just watch her", she meant it." Blaise added helpfully, knowing full well to duck this time when Pansy tried to take another swing at him.

"And plus isn't Weasley with Potter? I heard they were set to be married when she got out of school, she's obviously not really with Granger." Draco shrugged and turned back to his food, clearly dropping the subject before anyone was able to pick up on their conversation.

"She better not be." Pansy nearly growled while continuing to eat, being more forceful with her food than necessary.

* * *

"Don't worry about me, I'm sure she's going to follow me to talk to me." Hermione laughed as she separated from Ginny right outside of the Great Hall doors. "Just go right to the tower, I'll meet you there later."

"Just don't get yourself killed, Hermione." Ginny laughed as she shook her head at her reckless friend. "I have no idea who I would have as my maid-of-honor otherwise."

"I'm sure you can make another friend in two years, roughly." Hermione joked back, leaning against the wall right next to the door.

"Who says I would want to?" Ginny teased as she left, waving by over her shoulder. Had she turned around, she would have seen Pansy throw open the doors of the Great Hall.

* * *

"I think she's leaving, Weasley's going with her." Draco nudged Pansy, who was currently brooding in her pudding."

"What?" Her head snapped up so fast, both Slytherin boys winced slightly. "I'm going to follow them.

"Are you sure?" Blaise asked, all joking gone as he watched her with concerned eyes.

"Yeah I'm sure." Pansy bit back, though both of her boys could tell that she was not as confident as she seemed. "Wait for me in the common room, I'll be back shortly. This shouldn't take long."

"Okay, be careful." Draco whispered as he leaned across the table to take Pansy's hand briefly, before she fled. To anyone who wasn't privy to their conversation, it looked like a romantic gesture and soon rumors began to fly across the room, all eyes were trained on Draco as Pansy slipped out of the Hall out of sight.

Throwing open the doors, the first thing that Pansy saw was the retreating back of Weasley. She was about to yell at her, but before she even stepped out of the way of the door, a hand shot out and grabbed her. Instantly an arm wrapped around her waist and a hand clamped firmly on her mouth.

"I wouldn't scream if I were you. Then there would be no way for us to talk without drawing attention to ourselves, unless that is what you want." Hermione whispered in her ear, sending chills up Pansy's spine. The knowledge that her body was so firmly pressed against the girl that she was infatuated with kept her from struggling further and then the hand covering her mouth fell.

"What do you want Granger?" Pansy tried to sound threatening, but the chocked sound of her voice gave away her apparent discomfort with the situation.

"I want to win this little game." Hermione smirked as her free hand began to roam over Pansy's front, starting first at her hip, then under her blouse, drawing circles on her stomach.

"So this is just a game to you?" Pansy bit back, trying to fight against the touch that made her weak.

"Is it more to you?" Hermione asked as her hands began to roam up further, stopping right under the other girl's bra and then traveled back down to her navel. When Pansy refused to answer that question Hermione simply laughed and leaned back into Pansy's ear. Taking the lobe gently into her ear, she began to nibble on it, taking much pleasure in the way that Pansy's breath began to pick up and she began to pant slightly. "I'll make a deal with you." Hermione whispered again, pulling her mouth away from her ear, taking her free hand to turn her face so she could look into Pansy's lidded eyes. "I'll stop flirting with Ginny if you stop tease Malfoy and being so damn _close_ to him. Zabini too."

"That's what this is about?" Pansy asked incredulously as she began to stir from her daze. "You don't own me, you can't tell me what to do, I'll have you know-"

"What? That you're the Slytherin Princess? Well I'm the Gryffindor Princess, I get it. But if you want to play this game then those are the rules. Deal?" Pansy watched Hermione's face to try and understand what was going through the Gryffindor's mind. When she decided that she just didn't understand, Pansy sighed and rolled her eyes.

"I'll try. No promises."

"Then I can't promise that there won't be anymore scenes between Ginny and I. It's only fair." Hermione smirked as Pansy's eyes began to narrow and she tried to pull away from her completely. Hermione to strong and faster, however and she easily held on to the other girl. "Not so fast."

Hermione spun Pansy around so this time the Slytherin had her back against the wall with Hermione pressing against her. Before she was able to protest, however, Hermione was kissing her full on the lips, slowly at first but when Pansy began to kiss back, Hermione began to deepen the kiss. As Pansy started to really get into the kiss she completely forgot where they were. She forgot that they were leaning against the wall right outside of the Great Hall where anyone could see them. She forgot that she had a reputation to uphold in the school for the last few months that she still had to attend. She forgot all of this as Hermione's soft lips melded with hers. As the kiss began to get heated, Hermione quickly pulled away. "Don't forget your promise." Hermione smiled and winked before walking away, leaving Pansy along in a daze.

"_Only if you keep doing things like that._" Pansy thought to herself as air began to fill her lungs again and she began to think clearly. Quickly she looked around to make sure no one had seen them and then took off for the dormitories, knowing that the boys weren't there yet, but hoping that she would at least have enough time to save this memory for later use.

* * *

Hermione took her time walking up to the Tower so she could think about what was happening between her and Pansy. When it came down to it, she really was attracted to the Slytherin and judging her reactions to Hermione's advances, she was at least attracted to Hermione as well. Finally that was settled, because just a few days ago, Hermione would have guessed that Pansy was straight, especially because of how much the girl seemed to hang all over Malfoy and Zabini. Hermione smiled to herself, thinking about the jealous glare that she saw on Pansy's face when she had been flirting with Ginny. She imagined she looked much the same when the other girl hung all over her boys. The thought made Hermione laugh as she entered the common room, her eyes landing on her own boys.

"Ginny's up in your room already. She's been waiting for you." Harry smiled when he saw Hermione, he could see the look of deep thought on her face, one that he always found rather endearing.

"Good to see you and Ron are feeling better." Hermione teased, quickly drawn from her thoughts by the volume of noise and people in the common room, all settling in for the night.

"I nearly had to drag this one back after your little stunt, he wouldn't come to for ages." Harry jokingly complained and Ron just sat quietly looking a slight bit purple from the memory of why he had passed out cold in the middle of the dinning hall and had missed dinner consequently.

"Oh you poor thing." Hermione laughed and left for her dorm room at the top of the girls tower. Just as they said, Ginny was waiting for her on her bed.

"You kissed her." Ginny said mater-of-factly as Hermione sat besides her, a rather smug look on her face.

"Of course I did. That was the plan." Hermione laughed as the red-head rolled her eyes and sat back in the small four poster bed. "And I'm sure you're sneaking off with Harry tonight, so you really can't complain,"

"Well that's true." Ginny laughed and then turned to face Hermione, her face very serious suddenly. "Are you sure you know what you're doing? That was all very _bold_ for you, don't you think? Where is all this coming from?" Hermione sighed and stood up, starting to pace her room. She knew that Ginny was going to ask her questions. She just wasn't quite ready to face them. "You don't have to answer, I mean, I'm just worried about you is all."

"No, I know you are. You deserve an answer anyways." Hermione stopped her pacing, leaning against her bed, looking anywhere but at Ginny. "I suppose I just can't stand watching life pass me by anymore, if that makes any sense. I am just so sick of letting opportunities pass by and for once I would just love to know what it feels like to shoot for something wild and crazy. I mean I push myself academically all the time, but I've never once strived to further my romantic life what-so-ever. And also it's my last year at Hogwarts, I'm sure I will not see most of these people again, it would be nice to have a grand exit."

"What do you mean you're not going to be seeing anyone anymore? The Wizarding world isn't very small, in order to live life avoiding everyone we've been at Hogwarts with you would have to life in another country." Ginny looked at Hermione strangely as she began to realize that they had never once talked about life outside of Hogwarts. Of course Ginny would be staying in the area, she had her family to think about, she couldn't leave her Mum and Dad, much less her brothers, of those that still lived in Great Britain, but she had never once thought that Hermione might not stay. "Where are you going after Hogwarts, 'Mione?"

"I was going to tell you, I swear." Hermione chocked on her words and a tear fell from her eyes. "My Mum and Dad want to move away, they've been through too much here to want to stay. I have to go with them. We have a house in France, I even got into a University there that does muggle day classes and magic night classes. I just got my secondary school equivalency diploma by post, I can continue to go to school in both worlds, which is what I've wanted all along. I don't know if or when I will be coming back to Great Britain."

"When were you planning on telling us?" Ginny asked looking hurt and betrayed.

"I was going to tell all of you after our N.E.W.T.s I didn't want to stress out the boys any. I'll be here for the whole summer, we don't have plans to move until late August."

"You know that just because you're moving doesn't mean that you have to act rashly. Harry, Ron and I will still be seeing you. I'm sure we can make it out to France and visit. And you know that Mum would not stand for you not coming to dinner at least once a year." Ginny stood and pushed her anger aside to comfort her clearly distressed friend. "It will be okay, you know it will be okay."

"I hope so Ginny." Hermione leaned into her friend, accepting the offered hug with the hunger of a starving man. "Oh God I hope so."

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Summary: Pansy likes Hermione. Hermione likes Pansy. You would think that the solution would be simple, but since when can Gryffindors and Slytherins do things the simple way?

_

* * *

_

_Last Chapter_

_"You know that just because you're moving doesn't mean that you have to act rashly. Harry, Ron and I will still be seeing you. I'm sure we can make it out to France and visit. And you know that Mum would not stand for you not coming to dinner at least once a year." Ginny stood and pushed her anger aside to comfort her clearly distressed friend. "It will be okay, you know it will be okay."_

_"I hope so Ginny." Hermione leaned into her friend, accepting the offered hug with the hunger of a starving man. "Oh God I hope so."_

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Four**

Pansy slowly made her way to the Slytherin Common Room, trying to process what had just happened. She would have never thought that Hermione would have the nerve to kiss her like she had, she had been so bold, something that made a blush rise to Pansy's cheeks just at the thought. This new event only opened up more doors of possibilities in Pansy's mind. It also brought up a lot of questions, however. What did she really think of how Hermione had acted? It seemed that the Gryffindor was acting less and less like the Hermione that she thought she knew and she just wasn't sure how to feel about that. Did Pansy love the Hermione that was acting like Slytherin now or the safe, careful Hermione that she had always known? And furthermore did Pansy _actually love_ her? Her earlier elation turned to speculation as she let herself into the common room, setting herself down in front of her chair by the fire. She knew that her boys were bound to be back from dinner soon, looking for answers, and Pansy wasn't sure if she would have any for them because she no longer knew what all the questions even were.

Draco and Blaise came running through the common room door with little grace and decorum. They almost stumbled into the other to get to Pansy, both looking more excited than the raven-haired girl thought they were warranted.

"Honestly, the two of you are acting like a bunch of first years." Pansy scoffed, though the two could tell she was hiding back her smile.

"Well you just up and left dinner with little to no explanation, we were worried!" Blaise half whispered half yelled, the effect making all eyes fall on the trio before quickly turning away as if there hadn't been an disturbance.

"Not worried enough to go after me." Pansy bit back though there was no malice in her voice. Instead so stood, walking towards the stairs of the boy's dorms. "Well aren't you coming? I'm sure you have _millions_ of questions to ask me." The two Slytherins followed their Princess, keeping their obvious excitement in in order for their cool masks to slip back into place. When the three most powerful members of Slytherin left the room all conversion continued. Rumors instantly began to fly about the three as they often did whenever the trio wasn't present.

"Okay now really Pansy, what happened?" Draco asked, lying back in his bed facing Pansy and Blaise who were cuddled up on Blaise's bed.

"First off I'm rather surprised at the way the two of you were acting." Pansy tried to sound haughty and superior, but the two only rolled their eyes at her act.

"You should have seen how zoned out you looked. The little first years were talking about you and you didn't even notice." Blaise poked Pansy in the side making the girl laugh and squirm despite her trying to act calm and cool.

"That is still no reason to act like children."

"You can yell at us later, most likely when we are more deserving of it, but really Pansy, what happened?"

Pansy hesitated then. It wasn't that she didn't want to tell them, she knew that even if she didn't want to the boys would eventually get the truth from her. She just didn't know exactly what to say. What had happened? Were their words to describe it? Could she openly admit that she had let all of her guard down because Hermione had _kissed_ her?

"I know that look." Blaise sighed and pulled the girl closer, moving over on the small bed to make room for Draco to join them. When the three readjusted themselves, they turned to Pansy again.

"Take your time, love." Draco gently ran his hand up and down her arm, drawing little patterns, trying to comfort the troubled girl.

"Well, for one, she kissed me." Pansy finally said, deciding that being upfront with them would at least buy her some more time to think about what she actually felt about the whole situation.

"What kind of kiss? A light peck? A kiss on the cheek?" Blaise asked while Draco simply stayed silent, almost as if in shock.

"She kissed me on the lips, more accurately we made out."

"Like hot and heavy?" Blaise continued to question.

"Hot and heavy."

"Where?"

"Behind the Great Hall door."

"Wait. You guys kissed?" Draco finally asked making Blaise and Pansy stop their heated question and answer session to look at the slower blond.

"I'm glad you caught up mate, we were at the point where she was going to explain how they didn't get caught kissing in the main corridor."

"Well I'm sorry that I found it hard to process that the prissy Gryffindor actually had the nerve to kiss our Princess hard to process."

"You make it sound like I didn't want it."

"I never said that you didn't want it, I just find it hard to believe that she would have the bits to kiss you in the middle of the main corridor."

"She is a Gryffindor, they're bold and rash. They tend to do things without thinking and act on their emotions even if it makes no sense."

"But you know that Granger is different she is much more calculating than that. There must be a reason." Blaise began to rationalize, but was immediately cut off by Draco.

"The most important this is that she kissed you! Tell me what was it like?" Draco asked energetically, completely ignoring Blaise's eye roll.

"No there was something else. Before she kissed me, she called this _thing_ that is happening a game. What does that mean?"

"Does she mean that this is just a game to her? Because I will kill her if she is just toying with your emotions." Draco instantly became defensive and his smile dropped from his face.

"I'm not sure. When I asked her what she meant she looked surprised, she asked me if this was more than just a game to me."

"And you said?"

"I didn't say anything."

"Well obvious Granger doesn't want to put too much thought into whatever it is that is going on between you too. I bet she likes you too and doesn't want to be hurt either." Draco reasoned and Blaise nodded slowly as if he too was critically analyzing the new information that Pansy had just spilled.

"Yeah, that must be it." Pansy wanted to believe them so badly but now there were more questions floating around in her head. If Hermione actually _liked_ her where would that leave them? She had said it herself, they were both like Princesses to their houses and they were supposed to hate the other. What were they supposed to do?

"You know what we said before was true, right, you know that houses don't matter, not to you two. I'm not sure who on Granger's side is supporting her, but we love you Pansy, if she makes you happy then why would we try to keep you apart?"

"I know Blaise, and I wish it were that simple, but the two of you aren't the only people in my life that matter. I still have my family and society to consider, much less her own family. Imagine the stories she must tell them about pure bloods, I'm sure they have their on misconceptions about us."

"But if you two could be happy then why would all of this matter? If-"

"That's the problem, I'm basing all of my emotions and dreams on an if. I can't just pretend that I don't like her more than just some passing sexual desire. I actually like her for her personality, I want to know her better, I- I just don't know."

"So that's it then. You have to figure out how she feels and then the rest will happen on its own."

"Well now that you put it that way, it just seems so simple." Pansy rolled her eyes at Blaise the the Slytherin pretended to look offended.

"Well then see if I ever help you again." The sound of Pansy's laughter put both of the boys at ease as they were graced with her smile.

"Oh and that's another thing. She thinks that the two of you have something going on with me. She said that her stunt with the she-Weasle today was because of the way we _flirt_."

"Well if she can pick up on all of that from across the Great Hall then she is either paying much too much attention to us or we are losing a bit of our Slytherin touch."

"I'm guessing it's a mix of the two. Either way I think we should stop being so _close_ in public, just for now. I think it might help me get bit closer to understanding what is actually going on around here."

"Okay, just for now though, you can't let her tell you how to act though, if she's going to be controlling then I see no point of trying to be with her."

"I know, but please, just for now, I want to see what happens."

"We know, love, and Blaise already agreed for us, but we just want to make sure that you know better than to let some _Gryffindor_ push you around."

"Trust me. I know better than that." Pansy smiled this time a sly grin falling into place. "I know much better than that."

* * *

The morning after the incident between Ginny and Hermione left an uncomfortable air around the Great all. Most of the students in Gryffindor were keeping quiet, not wanting to openly partake in the gossip about two of their housemates that was making its way around the various tables. They would do their own gossiping later, when they were safely away from the other houses. They would protect their own house around the rest first before slowly tearing apart in private. Some would say that the way they were acting was undoubtedly Slytherin, but they would fiercely deny that.

The Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff houses were going between gossiping and watching the Gryffindors carefully for another incident, though Hermione was good on her word and had told Ginny that for the time being she wasn't going to provoke Pansy and instead wait to see what would happen next, though the two neutral houses didn't know this so instead they sat and waited, gossiped a bit, and then waited some more.

On the complete opposite side of the Great Hall from the Gryffindor table at the Slytherins. Most of the younger years were full out talking about the strange incident the night before, not doing much to hide their snide remarks and crude comments. The upper years however, were busy carefully watching their three leaders. Some were trying to seem as if they weren't all carefully studying them for fear that they would then turn their obvious agitation toward them and explode in a fit of anger and magic. The others were watching them because they were convinced that they would eventually explode and they wanted to be better prepared for the inevitable and have enough time to escape, or at least to throw up a shield.

As for the Professors, they sat above the students, chattering away as if they hadn't the foggiest what was going on below, though secretly they were all keeping a trained eye to either end of the Hall, knowing that when the tension in the room was that think, there was bound to be a fight between the Slytherins and Gryffindors and all there was left to do was wait for it to start, so they could jump in and stop the fight, hopefully, before it got too bad.

Harry and Hermione sat side by side, Ginny and Ron across from them. After the events of the night before, Ginny and Hermione acted as if nothing had happened and ate their breakfast, ignoring the tension in the room. Harry sat splitting his attention between the two and watching Ron, who looked like he was becoming more and more agitated by the second. Harry had been the one to tell him that Hermione needed time and would tell them what she was up to when she was ready. It had really hurt the red-head that not only Hermione was shutting him out, but so was his own baby sister. Harry knew that things in their group were still a bit unsteady because of Ron and Hermione's rough break up over a year ago, but until recent events they had seemed to get along very well. The first time that Hermione had come to them and actually told them about Pansy, only days ago after the window incident, Ron had actually been really good about it all and Harry had be really impressed, but it was obvious now that Ron was no longer okay with the current situation and Harry was really worried about what would happen next. As for the girls, they seemed to both be diligently ignoring Ron which Harry knew from experience was not a good idea in the slightest.

"Wonderful weather we're having, wouldn't say?" Hermione spoke rather loudly drawing the attention of most of the hall. A satisfied grin pulled at her lips as she turned to Harry waiting for him to respond.

"Not really, Hermione, the sky's full of clouds." Harry spoke cautiously, knowing that Hermione was in one of her moods. The kind where she was scheming something awful and if he didn't play along she would pay him back in kind later on.

"Well of course." Hermione said in a matter-of-fact tone that clearly said that Harry had said exactly what she had wanted him to say. Without dropping her smile her eyes turned to a matching pair of brown eyes across the hall. "A storm is brewing, wouldn't you say that storms are just _lovely_."

The Great Hall fell completely silent now as all eyes were trained on Pansy Parkinson, who for her part, was staring right back, a calm mask placed perfectly on her face.

The Great Hall fell completely silent now as all eyes were trained on Pansy Parkinson, who for her part, was staring right back, a calm mask placed perfectly on her face. The two held the others gaze for mere moments before Hermione turned away first to face Harry again.

"Wouldn't you say so Harry? I personally love a good storm, they always liven things up a bit."

"Sure, if you say so." Harry agreed half-heartefly. He still didn't know what was going on with his best friend. Ginny had reassured him that Hermione knew what she was doing and that she would tell them when she felt ready, but somehow he was sure that he was missing out on something big. It was really bugging him that Hermione didn't trust him enough to tell him. Sure he could understand if she didn't want to tell Ron, he was always one to jump to conclusions and get mad easily, but he thought that Hermione knew that she could trust him.

The emotions flying through Harry's mind must have shown because Hermione's grin instantly fell as she continued to watch him. Her hand reached for his under the table and squeezed it lightly, smiling to show him that everything would be alright.

_"I hope everything will be alright."_

"Come on, let's go." Ron said suddenly, standing and eyeing his two best friends and sister before making to leave.

"But we still have twenty minutes to class. What's got you in such a hurry?" Hermione asked making no move to follow him.

"We need to talk." The warning look that he gave the trio made Hermione feel suddenly extremely uncomfortable and so they all stood to follow Ron out.

The whispers in the hall rose in volume until it seemed to be deafening to Pansy as her eyes followed the four Gryffindors out of the hall.

"what is this about Ron? Honestly" Hermione demanded when the doors closed.

"I don't want to do this here."

"Well that's too bad, you wanted to talk so badly then talk. We're all listening."

"Fine. I know that we're all supporting you and whatever it is that you're trying out, but honestly Hermione? What's going on? Why are you endangering my sister? I want to know and so does Harry."

"Well Harry at least has the decency not to let his anger get the best of him and take out his aggression on me in the middle of the bloody Entrance Hall!" Hermione raised her voice to match Ron's as Harry and Ginny stood warily to the side. "And I am not endangering your sister, she knew what she was getting into when she said she would help me."

"Oh great, so you will tell my sister what's going on but not me?"

"Well I thought that kissing your sister would be a better idea because Merlin knows you wouldn't want to kiss me because if I recall that was why you broke up with me!"

"I broke up with you because you would rather get up women's skirts than be with me."

"That's what this is all about? You're mad that I like girls? Well news flash Ron I like men too, I liked you, but you ruined that, now didn't you?"

Buy now there was a crowed forming, most of the students and even the Professors had heard their fight from the other side of the closed doors. Unlike most fights, however, all of the student body was silent, trying to hear more.

"This is all because you think that there is something wrong with me liking girls!"

"Well wouldn't you be mad if I suddenly told you that I liked men too? That I wanted to share with you with another man?" The collective gasp that erupted throughout the hall seemed to set something off in Hermione and her raised voice turned into an out right scream."

"YOU WERE THE ONE WHO WANTED TO SHARE ME WITH THAT SLUT LAVENDER, SO DON'T EVEN TRY TO TARNISH MY REPUTATION BY SUGGESTING THAT I WANTED TO SHARE YOU WITH ANYONE!" Hermione reached for her wand so fast that many of the students near by didn't even know what had happened until Ron was on the floor, skin dyed a sickly green color and he was gasping for breath. Before anyone could react, Hermione was gone, pushing through the crowd and into the castle. Almost no one saw where she ran to, but no one saw a Slytherin girl run after her.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Summary: Pansy likes Hermione. Hermione likes Pansy. You would think that the solution would be simple, but since when can Gryffindors and Slytherins do things the simple way?

* * *

_Last Chapter_

_"YOU WERE THE ONE WHO WANTED TO SHARE ME WITH THAT SLUT LAVENDER, SO DON'T EVEN TRY TO TARNISH MY REPUTATION BY SUGGESTING THAT I WANTED TO SHARE YOU WITH ANYONE!" Hermione reached for her wand so fast that many of the students near by didn't even know what had happened until Ron was on the floor, skin dyed a sickly green color and he was gasping for breath. Before anyone could react, Hermione was gone, pushing through the crowd and into the castle. Almost no one saw where she ran to, but no one saw a Slytherin girl run after her._

* * *

**Chapter Five**

Hermione ran as fast as she could, not bothering to look where she was going. How could Ron do that to her? How could he bring up everything that had been wrong with their relationship again, much less in the middle of the Great Hall with the whole school watching. She just couldn't understand what she had ever seen in him, what made a part of her still love him. She knew that a part of her would always love him and that was what made his words all that much more painful to hear. As her thoughts raced through her minds, she slowed and faced a classroom door, after checking inside, she slipped in, instantly leaning on one of the doors and falling to her knees, letting all of the bottled up tears fall. She sat alone for no more than ten minutes before the other door opened and the end of the Slytherin girl's skirt came into her view.

"Go away Parkinson." She said though her voice wasn't nearly as harsh as she wished it sounded.

"I believe that the last time I tried to tell you that you completely ignored me." Pansy closed the door and sat beside the Gryffindor shoulder to shoulder.

"No one followed you right?" Hermione ignored her comment, understanding that like she wouldn't leave Pansy when she had been in need, Pansy wouldn't be leaving her either.

"No." Pansy said, relieved that the Gryffindor wasn't going to try to push her away, as it was she was putting her pride on the line, she couldn't be sure she would stay if the other girl tried to push away again.

"Good." Hermione then turned so her body leaned into the other girl's, she felt an arm snake around her shoulders pulling her closer and that was more than enough for the tears to start again.

The two sat for what felt to them like hours as Hermione continued to cry. The stress of the past week seemed to have caught up with the girl as she cried for more than just the hurtful words of her ex-boyfriend. She cried for her having to leave, that Harry still didn't know because she couldn't bare to tell him, for the fact that she knew that she was falling harder for the Slytherin and nothing she could think of would stop it from happening. Most importantly she cried because Pansy was there with her and the other girl's actions only proved to confuse her more.

"I'm sorry." Hermione spoke softly when she was able to calm her breathing and dry her tears.

"Don't be." Pansy sighed and pulled the girl closer, something that surprised Hermione. She had thought that the Slytherin would push her away, regretting helping out someone who was supposed to be her enemy.

"Why are you here?" Hermione asked though she didn't pull away. Pansy didn't answer at first and Hermione snugged closer into her loving the feeling of warmth.

"Do you want me to go?" Pansy finally asked trying to avoid the question because she wasn't even sure if she knew the answer.

"No." Hermione whispered as she snaked her arms around Pansy and clung to the girl as if her life depended on it. as if she had just fallen, hard, and Pansy was the only one grounding her. Pansy almost smiled at the irony. They sat for almost twenty minutes before Hermione spoke again.

"I haven't been completely honest with you, and I think it's only fair that I am."

Pansy tensed and almost pulled away. What did those words mean? Was her Slytherin instinct right in thinking that the Gryffindor had been planing something malicious the whole time, stinging her along only to laugh in her face when her plan was complete. This was all a game to her, obviously she was done playing. A part of Pansy wanted to be mad at her, mad enough to scream and hurt her, but a bigger part of her just wanted to sit there and cry. She had thought that there could have been something real between them, obviously she was wrong.

"I knew you were just a lying bitch." Pansy said harshly, but the words were muffled by her quickly falling tears.

"No wait, let me tell you first." Hermione spoke quickly, eyes wide, she needed Pansy to hear her out, she needed her to know the truth. "I'm leaving the country when we graduate, I'm moving to France and I'm not sure if i will come back."

"What?" Pansy's voice was quiet and shaking. All of her fears of Hermione playing her a fool vanished, but not soon enough for new fears to slip in. Hermione was leaving. This was her one last romance before starting a new life. What did that mean Pansy was to her? Was Pansy what Hermione wished she could have had all this time, or was Pansy the last daring thing that Hermione tried to do before leaving and leaving this life behind her?

"I don't want to go. I am doing this for my parents mostly, for a lot of reasons, but not because I want to. Trust me if I could stay I would, for my friends, for you. But I can't. I was hoping that I would either spend my last months here happy with you, or leave at least knowing that it never could have happened. Then leaving would be a little easier."

"Why are you telling me this?" Pansy demanded, ripping herself away from Hermione, her eyes wide as tears of her own began to fall. "Didn't you think that by playing with my emotions and then telling me that you had to leave would hurt me? Did you think about me at all?"

Hermione watched Pansy horrified. She hadn't thought about the other girl at all, not really. She hadn't considered her own feelings and how it would be for her if they became close and then she suddenly had to leave. She had only been thinking about herself, only about her own feelings and needs.

"And why do you have to go? What's really making you leave?" Pansy demanded, her voice raising to the point where Hermione began to shrink away in fear.

"I-" Hermione began to stand, trying to get her footing and to stand her ground. She just needed to get a word in, let the other know that she was sorry, that she had been selfish, but most importantly that she really cared about her. Hermione needed to tell Pansy that she was slowly falling in love with her.

"Did you think that by telling me I would just up an leave? Well you listen here, I'm not leaving my home for anyone, especially not you." Pansy fled from the room before Hermione could stand completely. Hermione tried to cry out to her, to tell her to stop, to really explain what she was feeling, but no words would come from her mouth. All sound died on her lips and instead she stood completely alone, as the darkness of the room consumed her.

* * *

Pansy stormed into the Slytherin Common Room with fresh tears streaming down her face. She knew that under any other circumstance she would never dare show that much emotion around her house mates, but she honestly couldn't find it in herself to care anymore. She had nothing left in her but raw emotion and tears.

Draco was pacing in front of the fire when she burst in. All eyes turned to her, though everyone but Blaise and Draco quickly looked away. Blaise was sitting in his arm chair, his eyes passive as he calculated the situation, although Pansy was openly crying that didn't mean that she wanted them to console her in front of a crowd. Draco on the other hand stood rooted on the spot, his eyes filled with a mix of relief, concern, and pure hatred for whom ever hurt Pansy badly enough for her to cry.

After quickly surveying the room, Pansy turned on her heal and fled to the seventh year boys dorms, the few boys in the room fleeing quickly after her abrupt entrance. Draco and Blaise instantly took this as their cue to return to their room.

"Whatever happened I'm going to kill whomever made her cry." Draco whispered, Blaise inclining his head slightly in response. His first priority was to make sure that Pansy was okay, revenge could wait.

The door to the dormitory slammed open, startling Pansy, her bloodshot eyes meeting the icy gray eyes of Draco before they fell on the calm brown eyes of Blaise. Draco was the first to reach the bed, his arms wrapping securely around the weeping girl. Blaise followed behind him at a slower pace, knowing better to crowd Pansy when she was in distress and equally knowing better than to try and comfort her when Draco was in his "mother hen" mode as he and Pansy so fondly nicknamed his smothering overprotectiveness of their Princess.

"You can come on the bed too." Pansy whispered motioning to Blaise as Draco reluctantly moved to give room for his dark counterpart.

"Tell us what happened, love." Blaise coaxed as he sat, pulling Pansy into a half hug as Draco kept his arms firmly around her waste.

"She's leaving. That's why she's doing all of this. She's going after graduation and not planning on coming back." Pansy said, holding back her tears until she could no long stop them. She began to sob again and this time Draco let her go, jumping up to stalk the room instead in pure fury as Blaise pulled Pansy closer, letting her settle between his legs, wrapping her in comfort as Draco prowled the room like a feral cat protecting her cubs.

"That rotten, little..." Draco began as his voice steadily rose in volume as his face became red and his breathing quickened.

"Draco." The bark in Blaise's voice stopped the pale Prince in his tracks as his icy eyes met his own dark brown gaze. "Stop, can't you see that there are more important things to tend to now."

"Let him be." Pansy whispered his face pressing into Blaise's chest, as small smile forming on her face, though her lips quivered slightly. "If he doesn't get it out of his system now Merlin help us later when he can no longer contain himself."

"Very true, love." Blaise chuckled as he watched Draco continue to pace, ignoring the two in favor of plotting revenge against the Gryffindor Princess.

"Maybe it's best to forget all of this." Blaise said after a time and both Pansy and Draco looked at him, confused.

"Forget it? She deserves some form of payback!."

"I can't just forget this, Blaise, I... I think I've fallen for her."

"I know, I know this, but don't you see? We can pay her back by pretending that we've forgotten everything. That will show her, if you seem not to care, if we act like nothing even happened then maybe something will change."

"I'm not sure if I can do that." Pansy whispered and Draco returned to the bed sitting in front of Pansy holding her chin up with his thin, pale finger.

"You can do this, you're the Slytherin Princess, you can do this because you are so much stronger than you think."

"Thank you." Pansy leaned further into Blaise as Draco leaned forward, pulling both of them into a strong, loving hug.

* * *

Harry and Ginny searched for Hermione for nearly an hour. The map was back in the Tower, but the two could hardly think straight to go and get it. They had taken Ron to the infirmary first. While neither truly had sympathy for the hot headed Gryffindor, they knew better than to leave him in the middle of the hall with a great number of Slytherins in the area who would have loved to take advantage of his helplessness.

"She can't be far, she must be in the castle." Ginny bemoaned as Harry continued to spell every door open in their path.

"I'm pretty sure we've been down this hall before." Harry cursed as he aimed random charms meant to open doors from left to right. "We're never going to find her at this rate."

"Wait!" Ginny cried as Harry trudged on, continuing to throw his magic around. "This door never opened, come back." Harry joined Ginny in front of an unassuming door that stood firmly shut.

"Bloody hell, the door won't open." Ginny cursed as she raised her own wand, aiming the tip at the door. _"Alohomora!"_

"Nothing, damn." Harry sighed and fell against the door, his arms folded to catch his head. "Wait do you hear that? There's someone in there!" Harry jumped up and began to bang on the door. "Hermione? Hermione is that you? Let us in, it's just Harry and Ginny!"

"Even if she is in there, she might not want to talk to us." Ginny sighed as she sat herself against the wall next to the door. Harry continued to bang on the door, the echoing getting louder every time his closed fist hit the wood.

"You better stop before you get all bloodied up." Ginny huffed, rolling her eyes at her lover. He really could be too stubborn at times.

"That's what healing magic is for." Harry retorted. His fist rose once more, descending to hit the door once more when a loud click signaled the lock turning before the heavy wood groaned as it slowly opened. "Hermione?"

Harry stared into the completely dark room, holding his hand out to Ginny who stood beside him, her eyes traveling around the dark abyss, trying to see just who was inside.

"Hermione?" Ginny made the first move into the room, a quick _"Lumos"_ and her wand guided them into the darkness.

"Ginny, I've messed up. I've messed it all up." Hermione's broken sobs attacked Harry's and Ginny's ears as the two rushed to the girl's side.

"Hermione, Merlin. What happened?" Ginny was the first to reach her, arms quickly resting around Hermione's shoulders as the older girl continued to cry.

"I told her. I told her and she just left. She's mad at me and she should be. I'm an awful person."

"Told her what 'Mione? What's going on?" Harry looked between his girlfriend and his best friend knowing that he was missing something.

"Tell him, Ginny." Hermione whispered so quietly that Harry wasn't even sure she had spoken at all, until Ginny took his hand, pulling him to their hug.

"Hermione's moving after graduation, to France." Ginny's eyes met Harry's as she spoke. "I'm sorry I never told you, but really it was to Hermione."

"Why didn't you tell me 'Mione? Why are moving...?"

"I have to. My parents- I didn't want you to be mad." Hermione spoke slowly, pausing to allow herself time to catch her breath between hiccups.

"Why would I be mad? You know that I'm joining the Cannons after we graduate. I'll be traveling a lot and on the off seasons I can come to visit. This isn't goodbye you know." Harry began to draw circles on Hermione's back with his thumb, soothing her as much as he could.

"And I'll be visiting with Harry as soon as I'm done at Hogwarts. Plus you are always welcome to spend time at the Burrow." Ginny added with a small smile forming on her face. "But that's not the issue now is it? What happened with Pansy?"

"I told her that I was leaving, she thought that I was either leading her on as one last joke before I left, or that I expected her to leave with me. I am so selfish. How could I not have thought about her feelings? What's wrong with me? Hermione broke down into tears again.

"Sh, nothing is wrong with you. You just weren't thinking straight. You were upset and scared about leaving. If Pansy really cares about you and vice versa then it will all work out." Harry stood and began to pace while ginny produced a hankie and handed it to Hermione.

"She has to forgive me first."

"Let's worry about that later, first let us get you a warm bath. Ginny take her to the Prefect's bathroom I'll get one of the house elves to fetch her things and then check on your brother." The distaste in Harry's voice at the mention of Ron made Hermione smile.

"Thank you, both of you." Hermione stood with Ginny's help and the two girls made to leave.

"You're not going to see Ron are you?" Ginny whispered to Harry as she passed him, making sure that Hermione couldn't hear her.

"Don't you worry about that. The less you know the better." Harry kissed Ginny gently on the cheek.

"Just be careful." Ginny cautioned and followed Hermione from the classroom.

"I will." Harry whispered back. "But no promises."

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Summary: Pansy likes Hermione. Hermione likes Pansy. You would think that the solution would be simple, but since when can Gryffindors and Slytherins do things the simple way?

* * *

_Last Chapter_

_"You're not going to see Ron are you?" Ginny whispered to Harry as she passed him, making sure that Hermione couldn't hear her._

_"Don't you worry about that. The less you know the better." Harry kissed Ginny gently on the cheek._

_"Just be careful." Ginny cautioned and followed Hermione from the classroom._

_"I will." Harry whispered back. "But no promises."_

* * *

**Chapter Six**

"She's asleep." Blaise whispered as he slowly shut the door to the seventh year girl's dormitory.

"I swear to Merlin I am going to kill Granger." Draco seethed as the two made their way back to their own room, keeping their voices low so as not to be overheard. Pansy had made quite the scene earlier, not that they blamed her, so i really wouldn't do to make another large scene drawing even more attention to the private Slytherins.

"That wouldn't solve anything. Pansy would just be even more upset." Blaise chided and Draco's glare darkened. Blaise chuckled slightly at Draco's look and that only further aggravated the blond.

"It would be better for her in the long run though." Draco bit back defensively hating Blaise for being so calm in these types of situation. Blaise was always able to keep his head even when Draco, who was trained by his very strict father his entire life, was no longer able to keep his own composure. While he was grateful that his best mate balanced him out very well Draco couldn't help but wish that he had someone else to rant with and work out his anger and aggression with.

"You don't know that." Blaise slipped into their dormitory, surprised that no one seemed to be in yet. He was silently thankful, knowing Draco as well as he did, he new that Draco would need some time to vent out all of his vengeful thoughts.

"I'm just saying that without Granger around then Pansy could move on." Draco tried to reason with the darker Slytherin. Sometimes he could get Blaise to banter with him if he used logic to appealed to the calmer boy.

"Yes, but killing her isn't necessary, she did say that Granger was leaving the country." Blaise lay back in his bed, eyes fixed on Draco's pacing form. He knew this game too well and was not going to fall for it. No, Draco would be alone in his anger tonight. Blaise was more concerned for Pansy to waste time on focusing on being angry. Not only that, but he didn't think Hermione was trying to hurt Pansy with her actions. He would never admit this to Draco, he knew better than that, but he honestly felt bad for Hermione too.

"Good. One less bloody Gryffindor that we have to deal with." Draco jumped on to his bed, rather ungracefully, cursing when the sharp edge of a piece of parchment sliced his finger. "Bloody hell!"

"Oi, what's that?" Blaise rushed to Draco's bed, bypassing the bleeding blond in favor for the note. Draco was always a drama queen and the paper lying seemingly in wait for the blond was far more intriguing than the small parchment cut Draco had sustained.

"Oh don't go and ask if I'm okay, I'm only _bleeding_ over here." The fake hurt in his voice didn't bring Blaise's attention back to him and Draco sat on his bed pouting, trying to read the note as Blaise continued to flip it over.

"Oh shut it, you're fine." Blaise stared perplexed at the blank parchment. I was blank on both sides.

"Give me that!" Draco demanded as he snatched the parchment back.

"There's nothing on it." Blaise mumbled as he sat back on his bed watching Draco closely.

"What do you mean nothing on it? There is a message on it clear as day!"

"Maybe it's set so only you can read it." Blaise rolled his eyes as Draco read and then re-read the note. "Well, what does it say?"

"That bastard!" Draco roared as he jumped up, bloody finger forgotten. "We're going for a walk." Without looking behind him to see if Blaise was following, Draco darted out the door.

"Well at least tell me what it said!" Blaise called after him, not noticing that the message was now clearly printed on the parchment and even he could read it.

_Meet me in the Entrance Hall. We need to talk. -HP_

"What it said doesn't matter. I'm going to kill that bastard." Draco hollered behind him as he headed up to the ground floor of the castle at a sprint.

"Well who sent it then? And you might want to keep it down, it's past curfew." Blaise whispered, running out of breath from having to catch up with the fast Slytherin.

"_Harry Potter_." Draco growled.

"Oh for Merlin's sake." Blaise thought. He knew that this wasn't going to end well. He would just have to stop Draco before he did anything stupid.

The raven-haired Gryffindor stood silently in the middle of the Entrance Hall. His gaze was fixed on the hall that lead to the dungeons. He could hear Malfoy approaching with a second person, if Harry had to guess it would be Zabini. He knew that the blond would want to fight him though he wasn't sure if Zabini would join him or try to stop him. Harry sighed, knowing that this meeting was necessary though he hated having to deal with the blond if he didn't have to. With his shoulders squared and his hand steadying on his wand just incase, Harry stood and waited for the inevitable.

"Potter!" Draco roared as he came to the end of the hall and found him standing there, waiting. Instantly Draco drew his wand, but Blaise was right behind him and just fast enough to catch the blond's arm, pulling Draco into a strong hold to insure that the blond wouldn't be able to cast a spell on the Gryffindor. "What are you doing? Let me go!"

"Hush Draco, he's not drawing his wand, he just wants to talk." Blaise tried to calm the blond, but his words only seemed to anger him more.

"And how would you know?" Draco bit back, trying to kick and wiggle his way out of Blaise's tight grasp.

"Because Zabini is pay attention, Malfoy." Harry interjected, slightly amused.

Draco's gaze fell on Harry again and he noticed that the boys wand was on the ground. Harry kicked it toward them and Draco watch amazed as it came to a stop, hitting his boot.

"I just want to talk. You can keep my wand until I'm done. I'm going against all of my instincts and trusting the both of you because I want to fix whatever happened between Pansy and Hermione."

"There is nothing to fix!" Draco struggled again though he was careful not to step on the boys wand. He might find the boy infuriating, but he would never go so far as to destroy the boys wand, at least not on purpose.

"You may think that, but I have a plan." Harry's eyes twinkled with mischief this time and Draco and Blaise were slightly taken aback by the smirk falling on his face. "The Sorting Hat wanted to put me in Slytherin for a reason, I always wondered what it would have been like had I gone." The cryptic sentence aside, Draco and Blaise were starting to wonder just who Harry Potter was and just how much about his character they didn't know.

"So what's this plan of yours?" Blaise was the first to bring the attention back to the reason that they had met in the first place.

"I already have the first part in motion I just need your help, but first we need to talk. I don't want to do anything that could hurt Hermione or Parkinson. That is not my goal here. I want to see Hermione happy, she is my best friend, but not at Parkinson's expense. I need to know if Parkinson's feelings for Hermione are genuine because I can swear to you that Hermione's are. She has been more than simply infatuated with your Princess for more than a year now."

"Really and why did it take until her knowing that she would be moving away to have the courage to do something about it?" Draco questioned. "And you can let go of me now Blaise, I won't doing anything untoward, for now."

Harry chose to ignore Draco's veiled threat and walked closer to the Slytherins so they wouldn't need to continue to shout at each other.

"We Gryffindors might be known for our courage, but we are equally known for our rash behavior." Both Draco and Blaise snorted at this and even Harry cracked a smile. "I'm not really sure why Hermione did what she did. I also only just found out tonight that she was leaving. I think she was scared, honestly."

"What of? Your Gryffindors always stick together, she wouldn't be losing her pseudo family." The almost bitterness in Draco's voice surprised Harry, but he kept it to himself.

"Again I'm not sure. But more to the point, does Parkinson really care for Hermione? If she doesn't then there is no more reason for us to talk."

"She does." Blaise spoke up before Draco could cover for their best friend. He knew that Draco meant well, but he could almost see the desperation in Potter's eyes. Granger wouldn't hurt Pansy on purpose and Blaise knew that Harry was just try to do what he felt was best for his friend. Draco could be too stubborn at times and Blaise knew that it would be up to him to work things out with Potter if this was to go anywhere good.

"Good. Then this is what I think needs to be done." Harry continued to brief his unlikely co-conspiritors about his plan. For the most part Blaise was on board with Harry's plan. There were parts that he didn't agree with, but they were able to work it out. Draco didn't really give much input, he didn't trust himself to speak to Potter without getting into a fight with him, and he trust Blaise to speak for the both of them, but if he was honest to himself he knew that he actually rather like Potter's plan and was over all rather impressed by it. He would never admit this to Potter, of course, but he could honestly see this plan working. After they were done talking out all the details Harry checked the time.

"Bloody hell it's late. You better get going."

"You might want this back too." Draco handed Harry his wand. A sort of silent truce passed between the two and Harry took back is wand.

"Right, thank you."

"I hope this works." Blaise added to lighten up the tension forming in the Hall.

"It will." Harry nodded as if he knew somehow that there plan would work. "You know what you have to do?"

"Yes we do." Blaise confirmed and took Draco by the arm to leave. They walked away without looking back, taking it on faith that Harry wouldn't try and hurt them after their fragile truce was just formed.

"Good luck." Harry whispered to no one in particular before turning and returning to the Gryffindor Tower to sit and wait.

* * *

Hermione sat on a bench in the shallow end of the Prefect's bath. The sullen look on her face to Ginny that the other girl was still very upset about her encounter with Pansy earlier that evening. Ginny really hated to see Hermione like that. She had always looked at the bookworm like the older sister she always wished she'd had. It pained her to see Hermione in so much distress.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Ginny asked after a while. Her voice echoed off the walls and made Hermione feel even more alone.

"I guess." Hermione mumbled and pulled her arms even closer to her body. "I just feel like there is nothing left to say. I messed up. I messed up enough that I'm pretty sure that there is no saving this, whatever it is." Hermione rambled on and Ginny swam to her side, pulling her into a comforting hug.

"Well that's not true. There is always something that can be done." Ginny soothed and pulled the girl off the wall. "Swim, clear your mind, we can talk about other things too you know."

"I know, thank you Ginny. I couldn't ask for better friends than you and Harry." Hermione smiled slightly for the first time in hours.

_"I hope you still feel that way after whatever plan Harry's concocted."_ Ginny hoped that Harry knew what he was doing. They couldn't afford to mess things up for Hermione any further.

"So you and Harry, what are you guys planing for the future?" Hermione asked casually trying to take her mind off of her scene with Pansy.

"I'm not sure really, we don't talk about it too often." Ginny swam on her back lazily. "Ever since the end of the war he doesn't like to talk about the future much. He seems to think that by planing out his life he'll get caught in the same trap he's been stuck in for the first seventeen years of his life. And I respect that. I can't imagine what that must feel like."

"You two are really good for each other." Hermione said confidently, a hint of sadness in her voice. "I want that some day."

"You will find it, Hermione. Sometimes you just have to stop trying so hard, stop looking." Ginny suggested.

"You looked, though." Hermione pointed out. "You fought and tried harder than I've ever seen someone try to watch after Harry."

"I think that everything that involves Harry Potter has to go against the grain." Ginny laughed. "But it's not always so happy and perfect with us. We have our fights, but we still love each other. We can get over the disagreements easily because we know that what is most important is not that we fight, but that we an resolve it."

"I know, but I want that too. I thought I could have that with Pansy."

"Well if you're just going to give up like that then there is no way you two will be together."

"You said that I wasn't supposed to try so hard." Hermione replied sarcastically.

"I said you weren't supposed to try, not that you weren't supposed to have hope."

"You want to know what I've been dreaming about?" Hermione asked suddenly and the change in topic intrigued Ginny and she nudged the girl to continue. "I've been dreaming about the future. In this dream Pansy and I are together, we're happy. I have no idea where we're living, but I know that have a sizable house. There are children running and playing. We're just happy. Sometimes you and Harry are there too. you're kids are beautiful and they look so much like you and Harry it's amazing. And then sometimes her friends are there and we're getting along, all of us. I don't know Ginny. I know it's just a dream, but I want it. I want that life more than anything." Hermione sighed and Ginny was by her side again.

"That sounds lovely." Ginny smiled as she imagined a life like that. She found that she was quite taken to the idea as well. She could get used to a life like that. a life with friends and family and peace.

"It does. But that was just the start. I start to day dream about this and then I realized that I didn't actually know anything about Pansy. I had been dreaming about a life with someone I had created. So that's when I decided that I had to get to know her. I couldn't just love a figment of my imagination. So I began to watch her, try to talk to her as casually as possible. I started to notice things. I started to notice that she would smile when no one was watching. That when she spent time with Malfoy and Blaise she seemed the most at ease, almost like she could be herself with them. She bites her lip when she's deep in thought, closes her eyes when she feels overwhelmed, crosses her legs when she's uncomfortable, I just start to notice all of these things and I began to fall even more in love with the idea of a future. I began to fall in love with Pansy Parkinson."

There was a gasp from the door of the Prefects bathroom. Both Hermione and Ginny turned to find a very shocked Pansy Parkinson standing by the door, eyes open, towel and clothing dropped to the ground. Time stood still as the three girls just stared. Hermione wished that she would just fall under the water and drown. Of course something like this would happen to her. Ginny knew the instant she saw Pansy that this was Harry's plan. She didn't know if she wanted to kiss him or smack him. How long had the girl been there, how much had she heard? Pansy couldn't believe her ears, part of her knew what she'd heard, but another part wanted to hear it again, just incase she had suddenly gone mad and let her daydreams get the best of her.

"How long have you been standing there?" Ginny finally asked making the situation real. They couldn't ignore it, they had to confront it.

"The dream I heard all about it." Pansy was still too in shock to consider no answering the ginger as she just continued to stand and stare.

"Oh good." Ginny rolled her eyes inwardly as Hermione tried to hide and Pansy continued to stand dumbfounded. "I'm going back to the Tower, Hermione, take your time." Ginny lifted herself out of the pull and retrieved her towel and headed into a dressing room leaving the two stunned girls, alone.

"Did you mean it?" Pansy asked quietly.

"All of it." Hermione watched feeling emboldened as Pansy started to talk toward the bath.

"I need to hear you say it again. Please." Pansy nearly begged throwing caution to the wind and putting her pride on the line. Dignity be damned, Pansy needed to hear her say it again.

"I love you, Pansy Parkinson. I love you for everything that you are and everything you're not."

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Summary: Pansy likes Hermione. Hermione likes Pansy. You would think that the solution would be simple, but since when can Gryffindors and Slytherins do things the simple way?

* * *

_Last Chapter_

_"Did you mean it?" Pansy asked quietly._

_"All of it." Hermione watched feeling emboldened as Pansy started to talk toward the bath._

_"I need to hear you say it again. Please." Pansy nearly begged throwing caution to the wind and putting her pride on the line. Dignity be damned, Pansy needed to hear her say it again._

_"I love you, Pansy Parkinson. I love you for everything that you are and everything you're not."_

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

Pansy stopped right at the edge of the expansive bath. Watching Hermione closely she began to slowly shed her clothing. Hermione's breath hitched as she watched Pansy unbutton her night dress, letting the thin fabric fall to the tile leaving the girl in only her under clothes. The matching green lace set was enough to maker Hermione's mouth go dry and she watched with anticipation as Pansy slowly, as if to tease her, unclasped her bra and let it fall, joining her night dress.

"Beautiful." Hermione breathed as Pansy's hesitant look turned into a full smirk. Pansy stepped out of her thong last, diving gracefully into the water leaving Hermione to wait for her to resurface. When she did she slowly swam toward Hermione stopping short before the girl.

"I could say the same thing about you." Treading water and kiss at the same time was less than easy, but Hermione was pretty sure that nothing in her life involving Pansy would ever be easy and she wouldn't have it any other way.

"I don't know what's going to happen, but I know that this feels right. I want to at least try," Hermione said when they pulled away. She watched Pansy's eyes to gauge her reaction, so far she didn't see and anger or panic in them so she hoped that she wasn't crossing any lines.

"I know. I want to try this too, but I... you can't expect me to just move away with you." Pansy tried to reason, but before she could get ahead of herself Hermione pulled her to the bench on the side of the pool.

"I'm not expecting anything of you." Hermione cupped her cheek pulling her in for another short, loving kiss. "I just want to try. We have the rest of the school year and even the summer to sort everything out. I can ask my parents to hold off until the summer ends. My Mom wants to take time to close up the practice anyways so I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to convince them."

"But why are you going? I still don't understand."

"It's complicated." Hermione tried to change the topic, but Pansy was having none of it.

"You heard Weasley. The reason she and Potter are so compatible and work so well together is because they talk out their issues and work out everything together."

"But this isn't your issue." Hermione tried to reason.

"If you want this to be more, if you want this to be a relationship then it is my issue!"

"Okay, just calm down and listen to me then." Hermione pulled the girl closer to her again. Taking a deep breath she gathered herself before talking again. "It's mostly my father's idea. He's always been the over protective type and he thinks that I should be as far away from London as possible. I tried to dissuade him but he won't listen. If you think I'm stubborn then you've never met a man like my father. My mom even tried to talk him out of the move, but he won't listen. It's put a lot of strain on their marriage, the war and all. If it was up to my father I would have never come back to Hogwarts for this year much less many of the previous years. I'm moving to keep my family together. I don't think my father realizes that I can still be part of a wizarding world in France, I'm not sure if he'd care, he just really wants me to be away from London. He's very unreasonable, but he's my father and I have to do what's right for my family."

"That's a load of crap." Pansy said before thinking, a blush rising to her cheeks. She expected Hermione to yell or say something disapproving, but instead she just smiled and started to laugh.

"It is. I agree, but they're my family." Hermione said through her laughter, tears starting to fall from her eyes, but this time out of amusement.

"I suppose I can understand that much." Pansy tried to act annoyed, but Hermione's smile and laughter was contagious and soon she began to laugh as well.

"It's getting pretty late, maybe we should go." Hermione suggested after her laughing died down. Pansy seemed apprehensive about leaving the other girl. "Don't worry, this will change everything, I promise that I won't go back to the way I acted before, I really did mean it when I said I love you."

"I know you did." Pansy replied not able to meet her gaze.

"And I don't expect you to say it back, yet." hermione smiled pulling her face up to kiss her. It was then that both girls realized that they were together, completely alone, and completely naked. "As much as I love this." Hermione started, caressing Pansy's bare stomach as she spoke. "I don't want to push you and I want to do this right."

"Me too." Pansy replied before kissing Hermione back, this time straddling the girl and sitting in her lap. She let her hands roam up and down Hermione's back and arms, not wanting to go father than the other girl was comfortable with.

"I don't know about you-" A kiss cut Hermione off and she nearly forgot that she had even begun to talk at all, but she did and she pulled back trying to get her thought out before they went too far and possibly regretted it. "Wait."

Pansy stopped her hands leaving them to hover right above Hermione's round breasts. She looked up at the girl, confused. "I thought you wanted this."

"I do. Oh Merlin I do." Hermione closed her eyes to gain her composure. She took Pansy's hands in her own and held them up to her lips so she could kiss the tips of her fingers. "But I want to do this right, so I think for now I should take you back to your dorm. It's late and we're both tired, we can talk about this more tomorrow."

"Do you promise?" Pansy asked, her voice quivering and Hermione thought that she sounded more like a child than the adult that she was.

"I promise." Hermione pulled Pansy in for another kiss. "Now come on, we've been in the water too long."

Pansy got up slowly and helped Hermione out of the bath. Quietly they dried themselves and got dressed. Hermione took no time at all, but Pansy took much longer, dragging out how long she could spend time stealing glances at Hermione, trying to see as much of her bare skin as she could before it was all covered up.

"As much as I like the view-" Hermione trailed off with a smile. She pulled Pansy into a hug, placing light kisses over the girls face and neck. A muffled moan escaped Pansy's lips and she melted into the touches and kisses. "I already promised you, love. I'm not going anywhere."

"I believe you." Pansy finally surrendered, trusting herself completely and fully to Hermione. She wanted this. She was going to do her damn best to keep it.

Hermione walked Pansy back to the dungeons. She used the excuse that it was after hours and as a Prefect, Hermione could insure that Pansy wouldn't get into any trouble. In reality she just wanted to spend as much time with the Slytherin as possible, because as much as she reassured Pansy, a small part of her was also afraid that when she woke up in the morning it would all just be a dream. An amazing and extremely cruel dream. When they stopped at the entrance to her common room, Pansy stopped and pulled Hermione into an embrace.

"I think I could get used to this." Pansy whispered and Hermione smiled in agreement.

"Me too." Hermione rested her forehead on Pansy's pulling her in for a gentle kiss. "I'll see you in the morning?"

"Of course you will. You can't get rid of me that easily." Pansy joked a full smile spreading on her lips. She couldn't remember the last time she was this happy.

"Good. I'm not trying." Hermione pulled away placing one final kiss on her lips before walking away, back to the Tower to thank Harry. She knew that this was his going and she could not thank him enough. _"I'll have to tell Ginny to be extra good to him for the next month at least."_ Hermione thought to herself laughing silently. Yes, things were looking pretty good.

* * *

Hermione sat poolside in a lounge chair soaking in the sun in the backyard of her Italian villa. She shielded her eyes from the sun as she watched the children splashing around in the pool. This was paradise, she just knew it.

"What are you think about?" Ginny's sing-song voice brought Hermione out of her thoughts and she looked up at the younger women a smile spread on her face.

"Just that this has to be paradise." Hermione smiled and motioned for Ginny to take the empty lounge chair beside her. "I'm guessing Harry's in the pool with the kids?"

"Yeah, I told him that he was supposed to go and wear them out, but I think the opposite might happen." The two laughed as they watched their children splashing around in the pool and hanging all over Harry.

"A little help might be nice ladies!" Harry called out laughing as he picked up his son James and launched him into the deeper end. James was ten and more than capable of swimming on his own.

"No that's okay." Ginny called back, turning to talk to Hermione again. "Really though what were you thinking about?"

"Me, I hope." Pansy interjected as she joined the two women, sitting in the grass and spooning up to Hermione's legs.

"Actually I was thinking about the night that we finally got our heads out of our arses and realized what we could be."

"Really? I remember it as the night that you were a complete tease and made me so horny that I could hardly sleep because all I could think of was you and beautiful body." Pansy smirked and wiggled her eyes suggestively.

"And louder and the children will hear you." Draco chided teasingly as he joined the group.

"Took you long enough to show, where's Blaise?" Ginny greeted the blond with a smile and a wave, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

"We got, caught up." Draco shrugged and the three women laughed knowing just what he meant.

"That's one way to put it, love." Blaise called as he jumped into the pool to help Harry with the children.

"Honestly the two of you are like a bunch of teenagers." Hermione laughed. She then got up and stretched. "I'm going to go help Harry with our troublemakers." Hermione slipped into the pool and her daughter swam expertly to her side.

"What took you so long, Mum?" Their oldest, Rose, rolled her eyes as she pulled on her mother's arm. "You and Mommy can have all the alone time you want tonight, but right now is family time."

Hermione was once again surprised at how perceptive her eleven year old was, she simply laughed and let Rose drag her to play with her little brother, Tristan, laughing the entire way.

"Who thought we would have found ourselves here?" Pansy asked no one in particular as she Draco and Ginny silently agreed.

"Mom! Daddy's not playing fair!" Ginny's youngest child, her only daughter, called out in fake distress as her father held her over his shoulder.

"Looks like I have to go and play mediator, again." Ginny rolled her eyes though the smile was still set on her face.

"You know Blaise and I can take the children tonight if you want some time with Hermione." Draco nudged his best friend gently.

"I think that would be nice." Pansy agreed, quickly formulating a plan of what she wanted to do to her lovely wife when they were alone.

"I know that look." Draco smirked. "Still got that Slytherin in you?"

"Actually it's more like Gryffindor, if I have anything to say about it."

"Jeez Hermione way to sneak up on us!" Draco jumped and Pansy and Hermione laughed, ever since they had gotten together Hermione and Draco had become very close and even considered each other like siblings. She knew him better than most and loved getting one up on him when she could.

"So Draco volunteered himself and Blaise to watch over the children for us for the night." Pansy wiggled her eyebrows at her wife of thirteen years. "You know what that means?"

'Merlin I hope so." Hermione returned her cheeky smile with one of her own. "Kids! You're spending the night at Uncle Draco's and Uncle Blaise's." Hermione called her children screaming with joy as Blaise looked bewildered. "Looks like it's just you and me tonight." Hermione crawled up Pansy's legs and nestled in her lap, pulling Pansy's lower lip into her mouth, gently nibbling on it and enticing a moan from her wife.

"Mum, you can at least wait until we're gone." Rose rolled her eyes as she and her brother followed Blaise out of the pool.

"Okay then, let's get you guys packed up now!" Hermione jumped up to start getting their children out of the house. It had been too long since she and Pansy had time alone and she wasn't going to give up a chance that didn't come around often.

"Way to make us feel loved, Mum." Rose rolled her eyes, bring her brother in to help him get ready.

"Of course we love you dear." Pansy pulled Tristan up into her arms as Potter children ran by her into their spacious home.

It took a few hours to get the kids pact up and get everyone out of their home, but Hermione didn't really mind. As much as she loved the idea of alone time with Pansy she equally loved the family that her dearest friends had created for her. It had been tough at first, moving away to France, but she would often return to visit the Burrow and Harry kept to his word about visiting when the season was off. Her and Pansy became really close really fast and she began to spend a lot of time in France, but she never officially moved it. It wasn't until Blaise's mother died that brought them all together again. It was just before Ginny had graduated and she had been given special permission to go to the funeral. It turned out that Blaise's mother had been quite the business woman and he had to move to Italy to sort out her company and decide whether or not he wanted to take it over. He and Draco had come out officially then, though everyone in their little family had already known, since Mrs. Zabini was no longer around to judge and punish her son they were finally free. Draco had been cut off from the Malfoy line long ago and he didn't care what they thought of him. It had been Blaise who had given them the money necessary to purchase their small villa. It had taken them a while to move in though, they had gotten married first, Hermione's father wouldn't have helped them otherwise and Pansy had known just how important that was to her. Harry had taken a permanent home up in Italy not long after, he had made enough money to afford a comfortable life style and Ginny had joined him right after she graduated, much to the protests of Mrs. Weasley, but she got used to the idea. It meant that she would have an excuse to get away from London whenever life got too stressful and visit her grandchildren in Italy. They had all been living in Italy together for thirteen years now and Hermione wouldn't trade her now in for the world.

"Lost in thought again I see." Pansy teased as she joined Hermione on the couch, glass of wine in hand.

"I was just thinking about the past."

"All good things I hope." Pansy watched her wife carefully as she snuggled up to her side.

"I was think about you, so yes, all good things." Hermione smiled and took the wine glass from her hands. "Now where were we earlier?"

Hermione moved so Pansy was below her and she leaned on her arms to keep from crushing the other woman. Their lips met and Hermione instantly sank further onto her wife, feeling her arms loop around her and her hands travel up an down her back. Pansy pulled Hermione's lower lip into her mouth much like Hermione had done to her earlier that afternoon. The moan that escaped Hermione's lips sent a shiver down Pansy's spine and only made her want more. Pulling away from the kiss Hermione slid down her body placing kisses on her exposed neck along the way.

"I think you a bit over dressed." Hermione growled as she helped Pansy out of her shirt, unclasping her bra with ease.

"Not fair!" The Slytherin alumni whined but the smirk on her face spoke otherwise. Hermione ignored her protest in favor of continuing to kiss the bare skin that she had revealed.

They spent time just worshiping the other's body with caresses and kiss as if it was there first time together, two people in a passionate romance, but still trying to learn everything there was to know about the other. Pansy couldn't remember the last time they could afford to take so long pleasuring each other, the last time they really made love to each other. She loved her children more than anything and didn't regret them by any means, but she really did miss this.

The rest of the night passed in much the same manner. Hermione and Pansy lost track of time as they alternated between make out sessions that lead to them crying out each others names, hips rocking together and hands roaming, and various muggle movies that left them cuddling closely, just enjoying the other's company (though most of the time the cuddling would turn into making out and then the cycle would repeat itself).

It was nearly two in the morning when Hermione turned off the TV, her tired eyes falling on her sleeping wife with nothing but pure love shining in them for her. She gently pulled her into her arms, carrying Pansy to their bedroom, leaving the mess in the living room for the morning. Right now all she wanted was to sleep next to the love of her life, making the prefect ending to the perfect day.

"'Mione, I'm not tired." Pansy whined as Hermione set her down on their bed.

"Of course you aren't, Love." Hermione laughed, Pansy always had a tendency to talk in her sleep though she never remembered it in the morning. Most of the time she out right denied talking at all.

"I love you." Pansy whispered letting out a small sight before slowly drifting of into a deeper sleep.

"I love you too." Hermione smile as she slipped under the covers, spooning Pansy's back. "I love you too Pansy Granger-Parkinson."

THE END

A/N: I just want to thank everyone who has read this story and especially those have reviewed on nearly every chapter. I am writing a one-shot fluff piece that will take place between Hermione and Pansy getting together and the last scene of the story. It will be rated M, so if you're interested in that keep you eye out! Thank you again! Nieriel Nighthaven


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